Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026
07:55
An All-in-one Sample Holder for Macromolecular X-ray Crystallography with Minimal Background Scattering
Published on: July 6, 2019
A 3 x 6 arrayed CCD X-ray detector for continuous rotation method in macromolecular crystallography.
Kazuki Ito1, Yurii Gaponov, Noriyoshi Sakabe
1Institute of Materials Science, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8573, Japan. kazuki@spring8.or.jp
Journal of Synchrotron Radiation
|January 11, 2007
Summary
A new charge-coupled device (CCD) X-ray detector enables continuous data collection for macromolecular crystallography. This advancement allows for rapid, uninterrupted X-ray exposure and data acquisition, significantly improving efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Crystallography
- X-ray Detection Technology
- Photon Factory Research
Background:
- Macromolecular crystallography requires efficient X-ray detectors for data collection.
- Conventional detectors can interrupt crystal rotation during data acquisition.
- The Photon Factory sought to improve continuous-rotation methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an advanced X-ray detector for macromolecular crystallography.
- To enable uninterrupted data collection using the continuous-rotation method.
- To enhance the efficiency of crystallographic data acquisition.
Main Methods:
- Development of a 3x6 arrayed charge-coupled device (CCD) X-ray detector.
- Utilized fiber-optic tapers (FOTs), CCD sensors, and parallel readout circuits.
- Implemented a frame transfer readout scheme for continuous data acquisition.
Main Results:
- The detector covers an area of 235.9 mm x 235.9 mm with a 1.9 s readout time.
- Achieved nearly 100% duty-cycle ratio for X-ray exposure during data collection.
- Successfully collected a full lysozyme crystal dataset within 360 seconds.
Conclusions:
- The developed CCD X-ray detector is highly effective for rapid, continuous data collection.
- The detector's frame transfer readout scheme overcomes limitations of conventional detectors.
- This technology, combined with synchrotron radiation, is ideal for advancing macromolecular crystallography.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Determination of Crystal Structures
In the late 1800s, the revelation that light extended beyond visible wavelengths led to the discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Roentgen. Recognized as high-energy electromagnetic radiation with short wavelengths, X-rays prompted exploration into their interaction with crystals. Max von Laue proposed in 1912 that the periodic arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules in crystals would cause them to diffract X-rays, a hypothesis confirmed through experiments with copper sulfate and zinc sulfide...
02:18X-ray Crystallography
The size of the unit cell and the arrangement of atoms in a crystal may be determined from measurements of the diffraction of X-rays by the crystal, termed X-ray crystallography.
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...
01:10X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples
X-ray diffraction or XRD is an analytical tool that utilizes X-rays to study ordered structures such as crystalline organic and inorganic samples, polycrystalline materials, proteins, carbohydrates, and drugs.
According to Bragg's law, when X-rays strike the sample positioned on a stage, the rays are scattered by the electron clouds around the sample atoms. The X-ray diffraction or scattering is caused by constructive interference of the X-ray waves that reflect off the internal crystal...
According to Bragg's law, when X-rays strike the sample positioned on a stage, the rays are scattered by the electron clouds around the sample atoms. The X-ray diffraction or scattering is caused by constructive interference of the X-ray waves that reflect off the internal crystal...
01:24X-ray Imaging
German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen (1845–1923) was experimenting with electrical current when he discovered that a mysterious and invisible "ray" would pass through his flesh but leave an outline of his bones on a screen coated with a metal compound. In 1895, Röntgen made the first durable record of the internal parts of a living human: an "X-ray" image (as it came to be called) of his wife’s hand. Scientists worldwide quickly began their own experiments with X-rays, and by 1900, X-ray was widely...